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"Those who would give up essential liberty purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. (Widely credited to Benjamin Franklin.)
I cannot think of a time in our nations history when we were more humbled, more vulnerable and more susceptible than after the earth shattering events of 9/11. Nobody knew what would happen in the days and months that surrounded 9/11. America simply had the wind knocked out of her and would not soon recover to her former state of glory. So what did government do in regards to that horrible day? Lets see, they further stripped us of our civil rights, they marginalize us and they condemned their own citizens. First they started a government work program called the TSA (Takes Stuff Away or Thousands Standing Around). With that the government eliminated a great number of private sector jobs and transformed those jobs into the TSA, they then claimed they had created thousands of jobs (what they did not tell you is the same people who were working airport security before 9/11 were now the same people TSA employed. Don’t get me wrong not all of the nearly 50,000 TSA agents were private security agents before 9/11 a lot of them have been hired because the government does not do things as efficiently as the private sector so they needed more bodies (not brains). They gave the agents new uniforms a new shiny badge and a huge false sense of power. They stripped us by our dignity by stripping us of our shoes and they instituted “random” searches of suspected “evil” people. Here’s a little story to help you understand my feelings about the TSA definition of random.
On October 7th 2008 at about 7:30 a.m. TSA agents “randomly” stopped me, at my gate (not at the screening area). I asked, “Why I was being stopped, I was told it was random.” The T.S.A agent (Miguel*) said, “what do you think random is?” I said, "if all our names were placed in a hat and someone drew out a name that would be somewhat random. "Miguel then started an argument with me; He said that when he chooses people it was random. I don’t want to split hairs here but the definition of random is: “made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision” When a T.S.A agents choose people they make their decision to choose people based on their own life experience, fears, and prejudices. I was lied to when they said it was random, I was specifically chosen by a person’s conscious decision. When I asked more questions about why I was selected Miguel (the T.S.A.) agent threatened to call a manager so as he said, “I would miss my flight.” He accused me of not cooperating even though I was cooperating in every way shape and form (I was just trying to clarify what they believed random was), then out of nowhere Yahaira**, Miguel co-worker said, “don’t answer his questions just call a manager.” I cooperated in everyway possible with their request to search my personal property. When I walked away I overheard Yahaira call me a derogatory name.
The T.S.A agents threatened to make me miss my flight because I asked why I was selected for screening. They did not find anything I was not allowed to fly with. They simply served as government agents who inconvenience, berated, and verbally harass me. If a police officer where to stop you in your vehicle they are “required*” to have probable cause to search your belongings but the airport is a freedom free zone.
Is this the price we’ve paid to relinquish our fears? Sometimes I try and give you something to think about. In this case my goal is to encourage you to think for yourself and to make you realize that TSA, is a government work program, they do not want you asking questions, because the truth shall set you free. My story is not especially unique, it’s just one of the thousands of instances where the TSA has abused their power. Please add your own thoughts and stories about TSA. I’d love to read them.
*Miguel’s badge number is 80653 and he works at the Orlando airport.
*Yahaira badge number is 05104. She also works at the Orlando airport.
Written by: Jonathan Root
I cannot think of a time in our nations history when we were more humbled, more vulnerable and more susceptible than after the earth shattering events of 9/11. Nobody knew what would happen in the days and months that surrounded 9/11. America simply had the wind knocked out of her and would not soon recover to her former state of glory. So what did government do in regards to that horrible day? Lets see, they further stripped us of our civil rights, they marginalize us and they condemned their own citizens. First they started a government work program called the TSA (Takes Stuff Away or Thousands Standing Around). With that the government eliminated a great number of private sector jobs and transformed those jobs into the TSA, they then claimed they had created thousands of jobs (what they did not tell you is the same people who were working airport security before 9/11 were now the same people TSA employed. Don’t get me wrong not all of the nearly 50,000 TSA agents were private security agents before 9/11 a lot of them have been hired because the government does not do things as efficiently as the private sector so they needed more bodies (not brains). They gave the agents new uniforms a new shiny badge and a huge false sense of power. They stripped us by our dignity by stripping us of our shoes and they instituted “random” searches of suspected “evil” people. Here’s a little story to help you understand my feelings about the TSA definition of random.
On October 7th 2008 at about 7:30 a.m. TSA agents “randomly” stopped me, at my gate (not at the screening area). I asked, “Why I was being stopped, I was told it was random.” The T.S.A agent (Miguel*) said, “what do you think random is?” I said, "if all our names were placed in a hat and someone drew out a name that would be somewhat random. "Miguel then started an argument with me; He said that when he chooses people it was random. I don’t want to split hairs here but the definition of random is: “made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision” When a T.S.A agents choose people they make their decision to choose people based on their own life experience, fears, and prejudices. I was lied to when they said it was random, I was specifically chosen by a person’s conscious decision. When I asked more questions about why I was selected Miguel (the T.S.A.) agent threatened to call a manager so as he said, “I would miss my flight.” He accused me of not cooperating even though I was cooperating in every way shape and form (I was just trying to clarify what they believed random was), then out of nowhere Yahaira**, Miguel co-worker said, “don’t answer his questions just call a manager.” I cooperated in everyway possible with their request to search my personal property. When I walked away I overheard Yahaira call me a derogatory name.
The T.S.A agents threatened to make me miss my flight because I asked why I was selected for screening. They did not find anything I was not allowed to fly with. They simply served as government agents who inconvenience, berated, and verbally harass me. If a police officer where to stop you in your vehicle they are “required*” to have probable cause to search your belongings but the airport is a freedom free zone.
Is this the price we’ve paid to relinquish our fears? Sometimes I try and give you something to think about. In this case my goal is to encourage you to think for yourself and to make you realize that TSA, is a government work program, they do not want you asking questions, because the truth shall set you free. My story is not especially unique, it’s just one of the thousands of instances where the TSA has abused their power. Please add your own thoughts and stories about TSA. I’d love to read them.
*Miguel’s badge number is 80653 and he works at the Orlando airport.
*Yahaira badge number is 05104. She also works at the Orlando airport.
Written by: Jonathan Root
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